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This pumpkin cinnamon roll cake combines a soft, moist pumpkin cake with a buttery cinnamon sugar swirl and a smooth cream cheese glaze. It has all the cozy flavors of a cinnamon roll but comes together as a quick and easy cake. Perfect for fall baking, the pumpkin keeps the cake wonderfully moist while the cinnamon butter creates rich swirls throughout the batter. Finish it with cream cheese glaze while it's still slightly warm for an easy pumpkin dessert that's perfect for brunch, or dessert.
This pumpkin cinnamon roll cake combines everything you love about a soft, moist pumpkin cake with the buttery cinnamon sugar flavor of classic cinnamon rolls. Instead of simply adding cinnamon to the batter, a rich mixture of butter, cinnamon, and sugar is swirled throughout the pumpkin cake, creating pockets of sweet cinnamon flavor in every slice. Once baked, the cake is finished with a smooth cream cheese glaze that perfectly complements the warm pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. It's an easy way to enjoy all the cozy flavors of a cinnamon roll in a simple pumpkin cake.
For more pumpkin cake recipes, try Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Layer Cake and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Quick & easy: This cake is simple to prepare with no complicated steps or techniques.
- Soft & moist: Pumpkin purée creates an incredibly soft, tender, and moist cake.
- Buttery cinnamon swirl: A rich cinnamon sugar butter swirl gives every slice that classic cinnamon roll flavor.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Dark brown sugar: The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has a fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Egg: Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking, so they come to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree or make a homemade pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin spice: Use either a store bought or homemade pumpkin spice mix. See notes under the recipe for the recipe of a homemade pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice are added to the cake to enhance the pumpkin flavor.
- Cream cheese: For the cream cheese glaze I recommend using full fat cream cheese.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake. This recipe doesn't need an electric mixer. Just two bowls, a whisk and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 20x20 cm square pan with parchment paper.
STEP 1: For the cinnamon sugar butter, mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside. For the cake melt the butter over medium heat in a frying pan. Once melted, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Add the dark brown sugar to the bowl with the butter and with a hand whisk, mix it together. Then add the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract and mix it together until smooth and combined.
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients and stir it all together. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
STEP 4: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Then dollop the cinnamon sugar butter over the cake and with a knife, gently try and swirl it in. Bake it for 35-38 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
STEP 5: Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 30 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let it cool down completely.
STEP 6: For the cream cheese glaze, start by mixing together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Then add the vanilla bean paste and milk and again mix it together until smooth. Spread the glaze over the cake and it is ready to be enjoyed.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
No, pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie filling are not interchangeable in this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar, spices, and other ingredients, which can affect both the flavor and texture of the cake. For the best results, use 100% pure pumpkin purée.
Yes. You can make the pumpkin cinnamon roll cake a day ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. For the best texture and flavor, let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
I recommend using a cake tester. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester or tooth pick in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
Yes. The cake freezes well, although it should be frozen without the cream cheese glaze. Wrap the cooled cake or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then add the cream cheese glaze before serving.
HOW TO STORE THE Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake
Because the cake is topped with cream cheese glaze, store it covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let individual slices sit at room temperature for a short time before serving so the cake becomes soft and tender again.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
CINNAMON SUGAR BUTTER
- 50 g butter room temperature
- 50 g dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flour
PUMPKIN CAKE
- 80 g butter
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice see notes below recipe to make homemade pumpkin spice
- 225 g dark brown sugar 1 cup
- 280 g pumpkin purée room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
- 100 g cream cheese
- 50 g powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
CINNAMON SUGAR BUTTER
- Mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.50 g butter, 50 g dark brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp flour
PUMPKIN CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 20x20 cm /8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Start by melting the butter over medium heat in a frying pan. Once melted, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and let it sit, while preparing the other ingredients.80 g butter
- In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt. Set it aside.180 g all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 ½ tsp pumpkin spice
- Add the dark brown sugar to the bowl with the butter and with a hand whisk, mix it together. Then add the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract and mix it together until smooth and combined.225 g dark brown sugar, 280 g pumpkin purée, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and stir it all together. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Then dollop the cinnamon sugar butter over the cake and with a knife, gently try and swirl it in. Bake it for 35-38 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 30 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let it cool down completely.
CREAM CHEESECAKE GLAZE
- Once the cake has cooled down and you're ready to serve it, make the cream cheese glaze. In a mixing bowl, start by mixing together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Then add the vanilla bean paste and milk and again mix it together until smooth.100 g cream cheese, 50 g powdered sugar, ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, 1 tbsp milk
- Spread the glaze over the cake and it is ready to be enjoyed.
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